December: Mayor’s message to the business community

It was great to see so many friends and familiar faces recently at the Greater Springfield Ball supporting the Mater Foundation. Thank you to the many people and businesses who donated to the Mater Foundation, with more than $63,000 raised on the night. It was the 12th year of this amazing local event, held at Boulevard at Brookwater, and special thanks to Springfield City Group and Springfield’s Mater Private Hospital as hosts for the night.

New procurement opportunities open for local businesses Whether it be for building a road, a library or buying a waste truck, Council has added 40 procurement opportunities onto the 18-month Forward Procurement Schedule which now has a total worth of $91.8 million. These additional 40 procurements add a further $55 million worth of projects for the July to September quarter, on top of the estimated $36 million from the previous quarter which was the first in the new Forward Procurement Schedule.
Some of the big-ticket items added to the schedule this quarter include construction of Springfield
Parkway duplication, telecommunication services for Council and replacing a bridge, the Murphy’s
Pub extension as part of the Nicholas Street Precinct redevelopment.

Council has already had significant success since the schedule was launched on the Transparency
and Integrity Hub in August 2021. https://stories.opengov.com/ipswichqld/published/87Z4mwAu7
The schedule has provided a powerful opportunity for the Ipswich business community to connect
with Council, provide some certainty and offer additional opportunities to our local businesses.
The publishing of a Forward Procurement Schedule also supports the delivery of Buy Ipswich, which
ensures that local businesses receive more favourable consideration in council’s procurement of
goods and services. Buy Ipswich has seen $54 million spent with local suppliers with a head or branch office in the Ipswich area in the past financial year. This Small Business Friendly Council is committed to strengthening local business and supporting industry development, and the combination of the Forward Procurement Schedule and Buy Ipswich is doing this.

Ipswich set to be merry and bright at Christmas Citywide Christmas celebrations this year include events and activities from Springfield to Marburg and every community in between. There will be more than two-dozen free and low-cost events for the community to come together in goodwill and joy.

For those who love Christmas carols, homegrown musicians, local choristers and orchestras will
perform special festive sing-alongs at Robelle Domain, Springfield Central, in Brassall, Redbank
Plains, South Ripley, St Paul’s Anglican Church and Mega Christmas Carols in Chuwar.
There is a festive feast of community events planned, including the Lions Street Carnival in
Rosewood, a Christmas lights fun run starting in Limestone Park, and Marburg’s Queen Street will
host the Christmas Carnival and Scenic Soul Christmas Market.

There really is something for everyone, so check out the whole program and start planning your
festive outings at ChristmasInIpswich.com And don’t forget to visit your local library to write and post your letter to Santa and Mrs Claus. And on that note, I would like to acknowledge the year that was and the resilient business community which has continued to operate and be involved in the community. And from myself, Councillors and Council wish you all a very merry Christmas and happy holiday period.